The Naming Xteam is delighted to announce the winners and runners up of Naming X, a global online competition launched in honour of Venetia Burney Phair who named the minor planet Pluto in 1930, aged 11.

Winner:- GlissadeReason: Planet Glissade sounds beautiful. Glissade means to glide along, as in ballet, which is like a planet, which glides along in the universe.Name by: Erica Reed, 10years old, USA.

Runners Up:-

Name: SumerReason: I believe a planet should be named "Sumer." Sumerians are from Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, and we should honor our first civilization on earth.Name by: Brenden Reed, 8years old, USA

Name: NaveenReason: Naveen is the synonym of Newness, change and something different. So I chose this name for a NEW planet.Name by: Akansha Sharma, 8years old, India

Name: AnimaReason: Anima is an Italic word, which it mean the soul. Finding a new planet make us more curious as it may bring new expectations to our soul to live on a new planet like as the Earth.Name by: Nuwani Ishara Thotawatta, 16years old, Sri Lanka

Name: AstraeusReason: Was the Titan god of the stars and planets, and the art of astrology.Name by: Christina Thowsen, 12years old, United Kingdom

Name: MakriliosReason: Makrilios is a contraction of the Greek words makrinos, meaning far, and ilios, meaning sun. This is because at Kuiper belt distances, the sun is far.Name by: Deanta Kelly, 12years old, USA

Category Three – Schools, Groups and Astronomy Clubs

Winner:- VirgilReason: In honor of both the poet and the astronaut (Grissom).Name by: Bruce McHam - McKinney High School, USA

Runners Up:-

Name: SerendipityReason: The children think Serendipity is a great name because many great scientific discoveries are a combination of hard work and good luck!!Name by: Neighborhood After School Science Association (NASSA), USA

Name: De WinneReason: Frank De Winne was the first ISS Commander worked for ESA.Name by: Oberon, USA

Winners will receive a copy of the award-winning documentary of Venetia’s story, Naming Pluto and a film poster, care of Father Films, telescope time care of Bellatrix Observatory, Italy and a signed certificate from our judges. Winning names will be included in a formal proposal to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Committee for Small Body Nomenclature (CSBN).

The team and jury did not plan to select Runners Up for Naming X but as several names stood out we would like to extend a special mention to our Runners Up by way of a signed certificate from our judging panel.